Chili is a food that can be laden with carbs and fat, so I wanted to tweak my recipe to make it more diabetes friendly. The main source of carbs in this Beef and Veggie Chili recipe are beans- which are full of fiber. Fiber can help to normalize glucose levels.
Also, I included cinnamon which has been shown to be beneficial in the diabetes diet. The cinnamon can be increased in the recipe based on your preferences or you could let each person add extra cinnamon to their serving if desired.
I would consider this to be a mild chili and would be suitable for the whole family or those who prefer less spicy foods. You may adjust the seasonings up if you like a more spicy chili.
In addition, feel free to alter the types of veggies in the ingredients to whatever lower starch veggies you may have on hand. Good additions could include zucchini, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, etc. Calorie and carb counts are listed on the recipe for your convenience.
Recipe
Beef and Veggie Chili-Diabetes Friendly
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ # lean ground beef
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 carrot chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 small bell pepper chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ Tablespoon cumin
- ½ Tablespoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 15 oz. can kidney beans or your favorite bean, rinsed
- ⅔ cup lower sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup mild rotel
- 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes including liquid
- salt and pepper as desired
- sour cream optional
- grated cheese optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium sized soup pot, then add beef, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and bell pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until beef is browned.
- Add all remaining ingredients and stir.
- Adjust seasonings as desired.
- Simmer over low heat about 30 minutes.
- Serve with sour cream and grated cheese if desired.
Margaret says
Newly diagnosed with diabetes 2. Need easy menu for meals. Or ideas can cannot eat
Charlotte says
Hi Margaret,
Check out my page https://easyhealthllc.com/diabetes-resources-health/
It has links to diet info and menus. Hope you find it helpful.
Marsha Pinckard says
I'm new to diabetic cooking as I've just been told I'm prediabetic. Everyone else may already know why this recipe is diabetic, is it the addition of garlic, carrots & celery? Thanks! Just learning!
Charlotte says
This recipe uses lean ground beef for less fat and also beans which provide more fiber. Adding additional veggies (onion, carrot,celery and bell pepper) also helps to increase fiber. Cinnamon has been shown to be of benefit to people with diabetes. There is no additional salt added to the recipe and uses lower sodium broth for those dealing with high blood pressure. Thanks for your comment!
Francee Underwood says
This is a great recipe! It took me three times to read the recipe to realize it's no tomato sauce or paste added. What a grand move! We love the recipe. Thank you for helping pre-diabetic & diabetics out!🙂
Charlotte says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Reana says
How much is a serving
Charlotte says
This recipe serves 6, so a serving is 1/6th of the recipe. Hope that helps!
erin says
Hi! Two Questions. 1, how much of the beef? It has a # sign. ALso what is mild rotel?
Charlotte says
Hi Erin,
The beef is 1/2 pound. The rotel is the mild version. Feel free to use regular rotel if you like. Thanks for visiting!
Sarah says
Hi do you know how much cholesterol is in a serving
Charlotte says
Hi Sarah,
I am estimating about 23gm cholesterol per serving. Hope that helps!
Eleanor m says
Definitely recommend this recipe. Made it for dinner and it was very tasty while being very easy and fast to make. I served with a pre-diabetic recipe of cornbread and salad. It made more than I thought it would too! Very yummy
Sonia K Saldana says
I’ve made this before without telling anyone what was in it or that it’s good for you. Everyone Loved it! Especially my picky husband! Easy to make and oh so tasty. Thanks for the recipe.
Joli says
I make this for my diabetic husband. He loves it as well as everyone else who eats it. Highly recommend!!!